Next Time
by ncfan
Summary: -Shizune, Naruto- "Yeah, but I'm still taller than you."


**Characters**: Shizune, Naruto**  
Summary**: "Yeah, but I'm _still_ taller than you."**  
Pairings**: None**  
Author's Note**: This is another pair I like to imagine having a close relationship, especially since Shizune is one of the few adults shown interacting with Naruto (other than Iruka and Kakashi—I consider Kakashi as this because he was never mean, even if he was neglectful) who treated him decently straight out.**  
Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Now look," Shizune huffed, arms tight around the squirming boy as she dragged him down the hospital hallway. Onlookers gaped at the spectacle. "It's just one physical. One little physical! Honestly, Naruto, you act like I'm trying to murder you!" she exclaimed when Naruto attempted to wriggle away from her yet again.

The genin took no comfort from this, and his fruitless struggles against the grip of the much-older, much-taller woman showed no signs of a abating. "I… don't want… to go!" he managed out between writhing, gasping like an exhausted dog. "I… hate… hospital trips!"

It was at this point that Naruto briefly managed to escape, breaking free of Shizune's grasp and tearing down the hall. His jail break for the downstairs was abruptly cut off, however—the other med nins on duty had been forewarned by Shizune and one of them caught Naruto and brought him back, kicking and screaming to a highly harried Shizune.

"Thanks," she gasped, tucking her arms around his waist.

"Isn't this a little… beneath your skills?"

"I'm doing Maiko a favor."

"A _big _favor."

Naruto had something of a reputation around the hospital. This actually dated back to his _first_ hospital trip, when he was four years old, but that was another story—it involved frantic ANBU and great mountains of paperwork for the Sandaime.

Finally, the boy calmed down somewhat, perhaps deciding he wanted to live to fight another day—the probability of Shizune killing him out of sheer annoyance was rising by the second—and Shizune was able to get Naruto into an empty room and lock the door behind her, tucking the key away into the folds of her yukata.

She turned on Naruto. "Alright. Take off your shoes and your hitai-ate and stand against he wall where the measure is."

This, at least, was something Naruto could do without raising a ruckus.

"Feet should be flat against the floor, Naruto," Shizune added sternly when she saw him grin and stand on tip-toe.

Shizune got down to work taking his height. "4'8"," she murmured when she got his height down. "You've grown about an inch since your last physical." She could smile weakly at him. "I hope you won't be doing to me what you did to the last med nin unfortunate enough to have you as an examinee." That was one story she couldn't get _anyone_ to tell her, though she had read the reports. The medic in question still shuddered at the very mention of Naruto.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "Na-ah, neechan. You're a lot nicer than the last one."

The pen shook on the clipboard as Shizune snorted. "Well thank you. Look at it this way, Naruto. While you're on your training mission with Jiraiya-sama he'll doubtless forget to take you to the hospital for a physical, so you get to skip the next two. How's that for you?"

A moment passed and when it was over Naruto's nearly blinding grin said it all. Shizune would have been a lot more offended at this sign of total antipathy to medical treatment if it weren't for the fact that this was the happiest Naruto had looked in days.

"Just wait; when I get back, I bet I'll be taller than you, Shizune!"

She didn't look up from the clipboard. "I should hope so. Otherwise I'm going to have to be making some adjustments to your dietary intake."

-0-

Two years later, Shizune one night finally managed to stop a moment to smile at Naruto. "Welcome back. I'm sorry I haven't said anything earlier; I've been very busy at the hospital and…" she shuddered "…having to do Tsunade-sama's paperwork for her."

Fifteen year old Naruto wasn't half as hyper as thirteen year old Naruto had been, though he still had an incorrigible grin and a noticeable penchant for mischief, she noticed. He hopped down from the seat he was inhabiting at Ichiraku's Ramen stand.

"Told you I'd grow," Naruto declared triumphantly, waving his hand to and fro for emphasis.

Shizune's smile became somewhat smug. "Yes, I can see that you've grown, Naruto. However—" she held one hand from Naruto's forehead across to her "—I'm _still_ taller than you." His face fell slightly. "Maybe next time."

Ichiraku-san came back with a bowl of ramen and Naruto clambered back onto the seat, chopsticks flying from nowhere into his hand.

As he devoured his supper with the sort of hunger Shizune was more likely to see out of a jonin who had been on mission in the wilderness for a week than out of a teenager who hadn't _left_ the village in a week, she shook her head. At least there was nothing wrong with his appetite.

Then, she smirked. "Oh, and Naruto? You're scheduled for a physical tomorrow. Don't be late."

"What? No!"

"Yes."

Naruto would have his check-up, whether he wanted it or not. And maybe he would finally be taller than Shizune when he had his next check up.

Personally, she seriously doubted it.

* * *

Completely pointless, but fun to write. R&R, please.


End file.
